


Strength in numbers

by sylveoff



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Selectively Mute Link, Wolf Link (Legend of Zelda), i dont really know who else or whatelse is going to be in this fic tbh, more to be added im sure, timeline hop, wolf link meets botw link
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-06 12:26:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13411233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sylveoff/pseuds/sylveoff
Summary: When Twilight magic transports him to another world, Link isn't sure what to expect. But any preconceived  notions are tossed aside when some commotion catches his attention.





	1. Newly discovered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After traversing Hyrule with wolf link at my side for 56 hours I had to write a fic. From the prospective of Twilight Princess Link!

The first time it happened, he was... confused. 

The Twilight had taken him so suddenly, he barely could register what was happening before he found himself in completely new landscape. Before him a beautiful terrain was splayed out. Not far from where he was, he could see the setting sunlight gleaming off a small pond; right behind it, a large, imposing tower. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end at the sight of it. 

There was something familiar about the land he was in, the air still smelled like home. But there was more that he didn’t understand than what he did. How had he ended up here, in this far echo of a land he called home? How would he get back? He couldn’t leave Zelda; not in the middle of trying to fully fight off the scourge that Ganondorf had left on Hyrule. Even with him defeated, locked away never to escape once and for all, there were still lingering effects.

It made Link’s skin crawl just thinking about it.

From behind him a twig snapped. Turning on a dime, he lowered his head to the ground, hackles raised, teeth bared, and a low growl threatening anyone who would approach him. He had no idea how to revert to his Hylian form, but good luck to anyone who would dare approach him in this form. A wolf’s fangs were just as deadly as any steel.

But instead of being attacked, his eyes caught sight of a flame running through the forest, not far from him. Listening closely, he could hear frantic breathing, pounding footfalls, and the clang of metal on metal. Keeping as low to the ground as he could, hiding in the underbrush to keep himself from being seen, he inched closer.

It was clear to him now that someone was being chased, by a few bokoblins. Even these though... they looked different from the ones he fought so often in Hyrule Field. Where in the world was he?

He watched as the bokoblins backed their target into a corner. He watched as they tried to scale the wall of the cliff behind them but lost their footing and fell back down with a loud thud. With shaking hands they pulled the rusting sword from its sheath, taking a swing at one of the approaching monsters, muttering obscenities when it broke.

They then took a torch from their back, lighting it with a piece of flint, waving the fire at the bokoblins to try and ward them off. But even as... mundane as they were, they knew better. Closing in on their target, they closed ranks, raising their weapons high.

At the last moment, he jumped out from the underbrush, letting out a snarl as he bit into the neck of the first one, shaking it before tossing it to the side, sending it crashing into another.

Before the last could react he pounced on it, sharp teeth tearing into the flesh between its neck and shoulder. It yelped, turning to dust in his jaws. He was able to catch the other before it ran off, claws digging into it’s back when he pounced, watching it, too, turn to dust as he bit into the back of it’s neck.

Shaking the monster dust from his fur, Link turned, eyes meeting the gaze of the monster’s target.

Startled he backed away slightly. Apparently, they had also been startled. From behind the rusted shield, peaked an identical pair of blue eyes, the same blue eyes he saw in the mirror everyday. They lowered the shield, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as they took in the scene before them. With understandable hesitation they lowered the shield almost completely, stopping only when their eyes traveled from the broken shackles at his ankles, to the grey fur on his breast, to his eyes (widening slightly as they made the same revelation as he), and finally settling on his forehead and the mark he bore.

Cautiously, they extended a hand. At first, Link did nothing but smell it, even more confounded when he found that, though slightly different, they even smelled similar. But the familiarities didn’t stop there. Stopping mid-step, his eyes locked onto a familiar mark. On the top of the Hylian’s outstretched hand, was a birthmark in the shape of the Tri-Force.

Link looked up suddenly, their eyes meeting once more before he awoke with a start, gasping, in his own bed.


	2. A Solid Footing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twilight takes him when he is needed, it becomes aware to Link that something with this Timeline has gone awry.

When it happens again, Link is not exactly prepared for it, but it is less disorienting than the first time it happened. Being transported by magic he still did not completely understand was quite disorienting after all.

For a moment he watches as his double chops down a tree, gathering wood in tight bundles. The tips of their ears and nose are red. Link looks on, worry blossoming in his chest. He could tell that the other was much younger than him, probably no older than 16 or 17. Even from this distance he could see numerous scars on the double’s face, he could only imagine that he would find more on their arms and torso. He could only think of the scars he had earned at that age, fighting off a power that at the time he didn’t fully understand... he never would wish that on anyone so young.

Making sure to keep his distance, he let out a soft  _ boof _ . Startled, they turned, wielding their axe in a way that indicated that they had been trained well before this moment. But upon seeing the familiar markings and eyes of the wolf, they slowly lowered the axe, strapping it onto their back before extending their hand once again.

Immediately Link’s eyes darted to the Triforce shaped birthmark on the back of their hand, a chill darting up his spine upon realising how it really was identical to the one on his own Hylian hand. He sniffed their hand again, not hesitating to press his forehead against it. Even though it had been years since he was able to access this form, there were somethings that apparently never went away, like how good it felt to be scratched behind the ears.

He stayed with the other for a while, trotting by his side and keeping other wolves at a safe distance. Of course he knew that there were doubles of his world even before this happened. He knew that he and Zelda were reincarnations of the Hero and Princess chosen by the Goddess Hylia to seal away the Demon King and restore peace to Hyrule. How many reincarnations there were he wasn’t sure, nor did he know (or even try to understand) where he was in relation to his own home and time.  Zelda had always been better with understanding that stuff anyway. He had asked her, hypothetically, what she knew of these alternate timelines, but she hadn’t given him much information.

Link found himself becoming more and more sad the more he followed the other around. Based off of their conversations with the old man, they didn’t have any memories of their own. Unsurprisingly they seemed to only remember their name, which, again unsurprisingly, was Link. Though they had no memory of their past, the way they fought monsters was as if they had been practicing their whole life; somehow wielding the blade as if it were an extention of their arm, throwing spears with practiced deadly aim. It was astonishing. Even though the other was clearly practiced, they were rusty, to put it nicely, and Link didn’t mind helping out at all.

He stayed with them until they reached Kakariko Village, opting to stay on the outskirts of the village as to not alarm the citizens. He knew they were Sheikah, the scent of the magic hung thick in the air, the fur on his neck raising as they drew near. The closer they got to the village, the more evident it became that there was some sort of protective ward on the village meant to keep magic other than Sheikah magic out. 

Link figured it was better for his double to go in alone anyway.

It was a while before he heard footsteps approaching. Lounging lackadaisically near the entrance of the activated shrine, Link turned his head, hoping that the other had brought him something to eat; but he was suprised to see a young woman in his wake, walking slowly up the path as to not startle him. 

He stood immediately, hackles raised and body low to the ground. He had no immediate reason to bare his teeth at her, she looked like a stiff wind could blow her away, but there was always reason to be cautious. 

Carefully the Sheikah woman raised her hands, lowering them again to place a basket down on the floor and extend the hand out toward him. 

“I’m... I’m not here to hurt you,” she began, chewing her lip and mulling over her choice of words carefully. It was obvious that she was nervous, but who wouldn’t be in the presence of a beast such as himself? “I have a...  _ request _ for you.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, but otherwise he sat down, head tilting to the side as if to say, ‘ _ Well? Go on. _ ’

“M-my name is Paya,” she began, kneeling down next to her basket. “With M-Master Link’s return, C-Calamity G-G-Ganon’s power will rise, making their journey dif-difficult.” A breath, “In some ways more difficult than it was a hundred years ago.”

That bit of information struck him as odd. There was no way that the kid he had been traveling with was over 100 years old. He wished he had a way to ask her more about the other, and their journey, but it seemed he would have to wait it out until he found out organically.

Paya took a deep breath, seeming to shudder slightly. “Many things they’ll be able to do a-alone. But the gods.. They sent you here for a reason. I k-know they pull you from your world to bring you here to help them. I don’t know exactly what path they are sending the two of you down, but please help Master Link in anyway you can. Please.”

Link stared at the woman for a moment. Her eyes were pleading, so sincere and full of worry, but more than worry they were full of hope. It was clear to him that she truly believed that the Link of this world would bring an end to the Demon King’s rule in this realm. For a moment he thought back to when he was thrown into his own destiny, forced into a hero role he never wanted; how he wished he had some semblance of help (rational help, not the “help” that the finicky little imp had offered at the beginning of their time together). 

Letting out a long sigh, he stood, carefully picking his way over to the kneeling woman, and pressed his head against her still outstretched hand. The small gesture made her face light up, and she threw her arms around him suddenly, burrying her face in his fur.

“Thank you so much! The gods will be very pleased, and they will see the two of you to the end of this century long battle! I know it, I just know it!” Her declarations were so joyous, Link couldn’t help but snuffle slightly, hoping it could come across as a chuckle. 

Realising what she had done, Paya peeled herself away from the beast’s form, a blush almost as red as the setting sun painted across her otherwise pale features. She cleared her throat, scooting back and away, but not before pushing the covered basket toward him.

“Please, eat whatever you please, the rest Master Link can have whenever he finishes his business with Impa.” 

She thanked him one more time, taking the cloth off the top of the basket and pushing it even closer to him. Link watched as she scampered away, back down the hill, a skip in her step. It seemed the girl had gotten what she came for. How she knew where he was and  _ what _ he was exactly confounded and worried him. If she knew, would she tell his double? Would other people also know what he was?

Link shook himself, those were questions for another time. Apparently the Gods also thought so, because as soon as he heard the familiar footsteps of the young hero coming up the path, a bolt of lightening struck the ground not far away from them, and by the time the thunder clapped, he found himself in his home, Hylian once again.


End file.
